Nepal’s 15-year democratic exercise—which was marked by deep political instability—came to an end on Feb. 1, 2005, after King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev dismissed the government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was later imprisoned on corruption charges; the claims were leveled by a highly controversial anticorruption body formed by the king. Meanwhile, the king took over absolute executive power, imposed a three-month state of emergency, and suspended all fundamental rights, including press freedom. The U.S., the U.K., and India suspended military aid to Nepal. Some European countries and international human rights groups, however, compelled the king to withdraw the state of emergency and restore civil rights. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights opened an office in Nepal to monitor the situation. Amid protests, the king promised in September to hold elections in 2006. Meanwhile, in Beijing the Chinese government welcomed Pyar Jung Thapa, the chief of the Royal Nepalese Army, and announced on October 25 that it would provide $1 million in weapons to arm the Royal Nepalese Army; this marked the first time that China had provided military aid to Nepal. In January 2005 Nepal closed the Dalai Lama’s office, which had been operating there for 45 years. The government ratified the Kyoto Protocol in September.

On September 3 the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) announced a three-month unilateral cease-fire—the third cease-fire in the nine-year “people’s war,” which had killed more than 12,000 people.

On October 9 the government announced a controversial media ordinance that imposed restrictions on free press, curtailed freedom of speech, and decreed punishment of $3,000 in fines and two years’ imprisonment for criticism of the government or the royal family. Later that month King Gyanendra announced that elections for the House of Representatives would be held by April 2007.

As a result of the expiration on January 1 of the Multi-Fiber Agreement, which set textile quotas, the country’s export of garments (the number one export) was reduced by 40%; the livelihood of tens of thousands of people, particularly women and the poor, depended upon that industry. The escalation in the violent insurgency in Nepal caused tremendous loss in protected conservation areas because security forces that had been used against poaching were needed elsewhere; the population of the rare one-horned rhinos dwindled alarmingly from 600 (five years earlier) to fewer than 400.

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In Nepal in February, King Gyanendra declared a state of emergency and imposed a media law that barred FM radio stations from broadcasting news and criticism of the king and the royal family. BBC Nepal news service was stopped, and all community radio stations were locked shut.

...effective Japanese encephalitis vaccine existed, but only 200,000 of Uttar Pradesh’s 7,000,000 children had received it. At least 300 Japanese encephalitis deaths were also reported in neighbouring Nepal.

King Gyanendra dismissed Nepal’s government in February, declared a state of emergency, and assumed direct power, citing the need to defeat Maoist rebels, who for nine years had been fighting to end the monarchy. The state of emergency was lifted in April, and in September the rebels announced a three-month unilateral cease-fire, the first truce since peace talks broke down in 2003. The civil...